God’s Unbreakable Love

There’s something I really feel I have to do.”

I’m sure we took the scenic route, but suddenly we turned a corner and there it was. I was shocked because the old house of horrors looked exactly as it had so many years ago. I parked in front and stepped out of the car, then leaned up against it in astonishment. “Wow, Mom, I can’t believe it’s still here.”

“I can’t believe we’re here,” Mom said. “Or that you wanted to come back.”

I started to walk toward the house.

“Psss psss,” I heard Mom quietly calling. I looked back and she motioned with her hand for me to return to the car. She whispered, “You aren’t going to bother those people, are you?”

I laughed. “No, Mom, it’s okay. I don’t have to. If you don’t mind, please wait here until I get back. I won’t be long.”

I snuck up to the window of the room I’d lived in for two years. As I stood there, memories from so many years ago began to flood my mind as if they’d happened yesterday. I leaned up against the wall, put my hand on the bricks below the window of my old room, and began to pray. Lord, I came back. I’m as shocked as You. I chuckled. Terrible things happened in this place. Some I can’t even bear to speak about, but I had to come back because there’s something I have to say to You and I needed to say it here. Lord, I lived in this room long after I left it. I dragged it around with me for years. I let it dictate who I was. I let it dictate my worth. Thank you so much, Jesus, for showing me the way out. You took all my anger and sadness and turned them into love and peace. You showed me who I really am—I slid down the wall and got on my knees—the daughter of a king. That’s why I’m here, Lord. I wanted to say thank you for all that You have done for me. Now I am grateful to You for this room and everything that happened in this horrible place. Because of this room, I get to do what I do today with such great passion. You saw back then who I am today. You knew that nothing here would be wasted.

I couldn’t hold my emotions any longer and began to sob. Lord, I know now that it was You I felt comforting me when I cried because I couldn’t bear the loneliness. You were the strength that came over me when I was afraid. I didn’t know You back then, but I do now, and I had to come back and thank you for all of it. The enemy’s plan was to harm me here, but You have turned this place into a blessing. I was so broken back then. Thank you, Lord, for rebuilding me. I know that I am truly loved and that you were always for me.

I vaulted back to the car and hopped in, wearing a big smile exploding with joy.

Mom looked confused and asked, “So what did you do?”

“Something I maybe should’ve done a long time ago, Mom. I set things straight. We have one more place to go. It’s up the street at the end of the road.”

“What’s up there? Mom asked.

“The turning point,” I answered. “One day a group of kids came up to me and dared me to do something. They said if I went into the church and stole the money from the plate that was at the front by the candles, they would let me in their group. They were the cool kids, and I really wanted in. I needed friends. I walked down the aisle to the altar, and there it was. I grabbed a handful of change and ran back out. I gave the money to the kids, and of course I never saw them again.”

I started the car and pulled away from the curb. “I know Mom, that all my sins have been forgiven, and I’m sure this was the least of them, but this was where I turned the corner. Vera kept saying that God hated me, and I guess I believed it. I was so angry back then and decided that if God didn’t like me, then I didn’t like Him either. I thought, I’ll stay out of his way, and He can stay out of mine.”

I turned into the church parking lot, shut off the car, and turned to look at Mom. “It was that day when I turned the corner onto the path of self-destruction. It was here that I made the first of many bad decisions for years to come—the turning point where the anger and bitterness took over. This is where it all began.